Yabakho Njani Inqwelo-moya?

ABAYILI bada bakwazi njani ukwenza iinqwelo-moya ezinzima kunomoya? Kwafuneka ukuba khe babukele iincutshe zokubhabha—iintaka. Ngowe-1889 unonjineli ongumJamani uOtto Lilienthal, echukunyiswe yindlela ebhabha ngayo ingwamza, wapapasha incwadi ethi “Inqwelo-moya Ebhabha Okwentaka.” Kwiminyaka emibini emva koko wenza inqwelo-moya yokuqala engenanjini. Ngowe-1896, emva kokuba enze iinqwelo-moya ezingenanjini ezimalunga nama-2 000, uLilienthal wafa ngoxa wayezama ukubhabha ngenqwelo-moya enephiko elinye elinqamlezileyo. UOctave Chanute, ongunonjineli waseMerika ozalelwe eFransi, wathath’ aph’ ebeyeke khona uLilienthal waza wenza inqwelo-moya engenanjini enamaphiko amabini anqamlezileyo, eyaphinda yenza kwacaca ukuba ukwenziwa kweenqwelo-moya ezinzima kunomoya kuhambela phambili ngamandla.

Hay’ ke, kuthe kusajongwe leyo, baphinda bazibalaselisa oonyana bakaWright. UOrville noWilbur Wright ababenevenkile ethengisa iibhayisikile eDayton, eOhio, eUnited States, benza iinqwelo-moya ezingenanjini ngowe-1900, besakhela phezu kwesiseko esabekwa nguLilienthal noChanute. Aba bafana bakwaWright bawuthela chu umsebenzi wabo, kangangeminyaka emithathu elandelelanayo, bephindaphinda ukwenza ulingelo lokubhabha eKitty Hawk, kuMntla Carolina. Benza uhlobo olutsha lweenqwelo-moya ezazineembobo zokungenis’ umoya, mbobo ezo ezaqala zenziwa ngebhokisi yokugcina isitatshi kwigumbi lokuhlamba impahla. Inqwelo-moya yabo yokuqala enenjini, bayenza yaneesilinda ezine, yanamandla alingana nawamahashe ali-12, baza injini yayo bayifakela kwiphiko elingaphantsi. Le njini yayincedisa amaphiko amabini awenziwe ngamaplanga akwicala ngalinye lesixhobo sokulawula le nqwelo-moya.

NgoDisemba 14, 1903, le mveliso intsha yabakwaWright yancothuka okokuqala kwindawo eyayenziwe ngamaplanga—yaza yahlala emoyeni isithuba semizuzwana emithathu enesiqingatha! Kwiintsuku ezintathu emva koko, baphinda babhabha ngale nqwelo-moya. Ekugqibeleni yahlala emoyeni phantse umzuzu wonke, yaza yahamba umgama ongangeemitha ezingama-260. Kwaba yimpumelelo ukwenziwa kwale nqwelo-moya.a

Yaba ngumnqa noko into yokuba, lo msebenzi mhle ngolu hlobo unganikelwa ngqalelo ingako lihlabathi xa lilonke. Kangangokuba xa ekugqibeleni yabhala inqaku ngaba nyana bakwaWright ngoJanuwari 1906, iThe New York Times yasuka nje yathi babekugcine kuyimfihlo ukwakha kwabo le “nqwelo-moya,” engazange phofu nayo “ibe nampumelelo ingako” ngowe-1903. Enyanisweni, uOrville wabethela uyise ucingo kanye ngobo busuku bokubhabha kwabo obungasayi kuze bulibaleke ezimbalini, emcela ukuba azise amaziko eendaba ngako oku. Noko ke, mathathu kuphela amaphephandaba aseUnited States awazikhathazayo ngokupapasha eli nqaku ngelo xesha.

Liyintoni Ikamva Leenqwelo-moya Kwezorhwebo?

Ekuqaleni ihlabathi lalingawaginyi ncam la malinge okufuna ukuhamba emoyeni. KwanoChanute, owayengomnye wabokuqala kwiphulo lokufuna ukuhamba emoyeni, wathi xa wayesenza uqikelelo ngowe-1910: “Kwanezona ngcungela zihamba phambili zivakalelwa kukuba kuyinkcitha-xesha ukucinga ukuba iinqwelo-moya ziya kuze zibe negalelo kwezorhwebo. Limbalwa kakhulu inani lemithwalo okanye labantu ezinokuze zikwazi ukubathwala.”

Noko ke, ubugcisa bezokuhamba emoyeni bahambela phambili ngephanyazo kwiminyaka esemva kokuba oonyana bakwaWright benze iinqwelo-moya zabo zokuqala. Yaba yiminyaka nje emihlanu, la madoda enza inqwelo-moya ethwala abantu ababini nenamaphiko amabini, eyayinokubaleka ngesantya esingangeekhilomitha ezingama-71 ngeyure ize intinge iye kutsho kumphakamo ongangeemitha ezingama-43. Kuthe ngowe-1911 eUnited States kwenziwa inqwelo-moya yokuqala eyayiza kunqumla amazwekazi; ukusuka eNew York ukuya eKhalifoniya yayithabatha malunga neentsuku ezingama-49! Ngexesha leMfazwe Yehlabathi I, isantya seenqwelo-moya sathiwa ntii sisuka kwiikhilomitha ezili-100 ngeyure saya kutsho kwiikhilomitha ezingama-230 ngeyure. Akuzange kube lithuba elide zakwazi ukunyuka ziye kutsho kwiimitha ezingama-9 000.

Ukuhambela phambili kwezokuhamba ngomoya kwaqhubeka kuyeyona nto iphambili kumaphephandaba ngeminyaka yee-1920. Amagosa amabini ezomkhosi waseMerika ahamba emoyeni ngaphandle kokumisa kulo lonke elaseUnited States ngowe-1923, esuka kolunye unxweme aye kutsho kolunye kwisithuba nje esingaphantsi kweeyure ezingama-27. Kwadlula iminyaka emine emva koko, uCharles A. Lindbergh wakhawuleza wayindumasi ngokuhamba ngenqwelo-moya ngaphandle kokumisa esuka eNew York waya kutsho eParis kwiiyure ezingama-33 nemizuzu engama-20.

Kwangelo xesha linye, iinqwelo-moya zezorhwebo ezaziqalisa ukuthukuza zazisele ziqalisa ukuyithimba ingqalelo yabantu. Ngasekupheleni kowe-1939, ukuhamba ngomoya kwakusele kunomtsalane kangangokuba izikhululo zeenqwelo-moya zaseUnited States zazisele zinceda abahambi abamalunga nezigidi ezithathu nyaka ngamnye. Inqwelo-moya eyayiqhelekile ngasekupheleni kweminyaka yee-1930, iDC-3, yayithwala nje abantu abangama-21, ithe chu ngesantya seekhilomitha ezingama-270 ngeyure; kodwa emva kweMfazwe Yehlabathi II, iinqwelo-moya zezorhwebo zenziwa zankulu zaza zathiwa nyii amandla, zihamba ngesantya esingaphezu kweekhilomitha ezingama-480 ngeyure. Ngowe-1952, iBritani yavelisa iinqwelo-moya zezorhwebo ezinenjini yeturbojet. Ibe iingxagruma zeenqwelo-moya, ezifana neBoeing 747 ethwala abantu abangama-400, zathi qhaphu gqi ngowe-1970.

Kuthe kusajongwe leyo, ngowe-1976, iqela loononjineli baseBritani naseFransi labuya lavelisa inqwelo-moya iConcorde, enamaphiko akhe unxa-ntathu, ekwaziyo ukuthwala abantu abali-100 nebaleka ngokuphindwe kabini kunesantya sesandi—ngaphezu kweekhilomitha ezingama-2 300 ngeyure. Kodwa ngenxa yamaxabiso aphakamileyo, azikwazi kusetyenziswa ehlabathini lonke ezi nqwelo-moya zinesantya esingaphezu kwesandi.

Zilitshintshile Ihlabathi

Enoba akuzange uhambe ngenqwelo-moya, kusenokwenzeka ukuba obu bugcisa bezenzululwazi buye babuchaphazela ngandlel’ ithile ubomi bakho. Ukuthuthwa kwemithwalo ngeenqwelo-moya kulityhutyhe lonke ihlabathi; ubukhulu becala, ukutya esikutyayo, iimpahla esizinxibayo noomatshini esibasebenzisa emisebenzini okanye emakhaya baye banqumla iilwandlekazi okanye amazwekazi. Iileta neepasile zihanjiswa ngokuqhwanyaza kweliso ukusuka kwelinye ilizwe ukuya kwelinye ngenqwelo-moya. Ukuze aqhube intengiselwano yamihla le, amashishini axhomekeke kakhulu ekuthunyelweni kwezinto ngenqwelo-moya. Iimpahla neenkonzo esizifumanayo namaxabiso esiwahlawulela zona, aye axhomekeka ubukhulu becala ekukwazini komntu ukuhamba emoyeni.

Ezokuhamba ngomoya ziye zanegalelo elibonakalayo nakuluntu ngokubanzi. Ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo, ikwazezokuhamba ngomoya, ezenze kwalula ukujikeleza ihlabathi. Akukho ndawo ungenakungayi kuyo ehlabathini, kwisithuba nje seeyure ezimbalwa—xa unemali yokwenjenjalo. Njengoko iindaba zihamb’ okombane, banjalo ke nabantu.

Iingxaki Ezidalwe Yile Nkqubela

Kodwa kwale nkqubelandini idale iingxaki. Ngenxa yobuninzi beenqwelo-moya esibhakabhakeni, abanye banoloyiko lokuba kuya kusiba yingozi ukuhamba ngomoya. Nyaka ngamnye ukuntlitheka okuquka iinqwelo-moya zabantu nezorhwebo kusuba imiphefumlo emininzi. Iphephancwadi iFortune lithi: “Ngenxa yokhuphiswano ezinye iinqwelo-moya aziyisi so imithetho yezokhuseleko ebezisoloko zibambelele kuyo xa zibiza imali ethe chatha ebantwini.” Eli phephancwadi lanikela ingxelo yokuba, uMbutho Wolawulo Lweenqwelo-moya obekumele ukuba nguwo oliliso kukhuseleko lwezokuhamba ngomoya eUnited States, “awunamali yaneleyo, awunabasebenzi baneleyo yaye awulawulwa ngendlela efanelekileyo.”

Kwangaxeshanye, uninzi lweengcali zemeko-bume zothuswa kukwanda kongcoliso lomoya nolwengxolo olubangelwa kukubakho kweenqwelo-moya ezininzi. Iphephancwadi iAviation Week & Space Technology lakha lathi, ukujamelana nengxaki yengxolo “kuphakathi kweyona miba kusoloko kungavisiswana ngayo kwezokuhamba ngomoya ehlabathini lonke.”

Ezi ngxaki zandiswe sisibakala sokuba kusetyenziswa iinqwelo-moya ezindala: Ngowe-1990, kwafunyaniswa ukuba inqwelo-moya enye kwezine eUnited States sele indala ngaphezu kweminyaka engama-20, yaye ezintathu kuzo ziye zasetyenziswa ngaphezu “komda wazo wexesha” omiselwe ngabenzi bazo.

Ngenxa yoko, oononjineli beenqwelo-moya kungokunje bajamelene nocelomngeni olukhulu. Kufuneka bazame ukuvelisa iindlela ezikhuselekileyo nezingabizi nkuntyula yemali zokuthwala abantu abangakumbi, nakuba amaxabiso entinga nabantu bexhalatyiswa yimeko-bume.

Ngoku sele kuthe gqi ezinye iindlela zokunciphisa iindleko. UJim Erickson, xa wayebhala kwiAsiaweek, wathi iqela laseFransi, iAerospatiale lidibene nelaseBritani eliyiBritish Aerospace liceba ukwakha inqwelo-moya enokuthwala abantu abangama-300 enesantya esisiphinda kabini esesandi. Iindleko zothutho nezamafutha ziya kuba phantsi. Ngenxa yoxinano kwizikhululo zeenqwelo-moya, abanye abakhi-mkhanya kwezorhwebo baye bacebisa ukuba kwenziwe iihelikopta ezintsha ezinkulu zokuthutha abantu—nganye kuzo ithwale abantu abali-100. Bacinga ukuba, ngeny’ imini ezi nqwelo-ntaka ziya kuze zibe luncedo ekuthutheni abantu abahamba umgama omfutshane, nto leyo ngoku eyenziwa ziinqwelo-moya ezinkulu.

Ngaba ezi ngxagruma zeehelikopta neenqwelo-moya ezinesantya esiphakamileyo, ziya kuyifeza ngokwenene le ntswelo ingxamisekileyo yeshishini lokuhamba ngomoya kwiminyaka ezayo? Kuya kubonakala ngokuhamba kwexesha njengoko abantu besenza onke amalinge okuhamba ‘kwisibhakabhaka esivulekileyo.’

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 14]

UOtto Lilienthal, malunga nowe-1891

[Inkcazelo]

Library of Congress/Corbis

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 14, 15]

UCharles A. Lindbergh egaleleka eLondon emva kokuhamba emoyeni enqumla iilwandle esiya eParis, ngowe-1927

[Inkcazelo]

Corbis-Bettmann

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 15]

ISopwith Camel, ngowe-1917

[Inkcazelo]

Museum of Flight/Corbis

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 15]

IDC-3, ngowe-1935

[Inkcazelo]

Photograph courtesy of Boeing Aircraft Company

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 15]

Inqwelo-moya ehlala phezu kwamanzi iSikorsky S-43, yowe-1937

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16]

Ihelikopta yabahlanguli iCoast Guard

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16]

I-“acrobatic” Pitts, Samson replica

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16, 17]

IConcorde yaqalisa ukubhabha ngowe-1976

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16, 17]

Inqwelo-moya ethutha abantu iA300

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 17]

Xa sinyukela phezulu, esi siphekepheke sintingela emajukujukwini ngesantya esiphakamileyo

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 17]

‘IRutan VariEze,’ yowe-1978